Click to see a gallery of pictures from RAF Brize Norton and RAF Benson
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Military bases and personnel across Oxfordshire are playing their part in the war.
 | | President Bush flew into Brize Norton two years ago |
RAF Brize Norton A royal visit to Brize Norton in the early days of the war is an acknowledgement of the importance of the RAF's biggest air base. RAF Brize Norton is home to 4,500 personnel - several hundred of whom have been sent out to the war zone. This is the RAF's main transport centre. It is also home to air-to-air refuelling craft. Its ageing Tristars and VC10s are the petrol stations of the skies. They can carry up to 100 tonnes of fuel. Without them, strike aircraft such as Tornadoes, Harriers and Jaguars cannot stay in the air long enough for long-range missions. They are being used to refuel both RAF and US Air Force aircraft. The Base has 550 personnel in the Middle East, including 400 air and ground crew and 100 from the Tactical Communications Wing, which deals with air traffic control. The base is also continuing to supply forces in the Gulf with stores, using its own Boeing C-17 Globemaster transport planes and aircraft chartered from private operators.
 | | RAF Benson has sent seven Pumas to the Gulf |
RAF Benson Benson is home to three helicopter squadrons. The base has sent seven Puma helicopters from 33 Squadron, along with 200 personnel. The Pumas have been sent to ferry troops and supplies into the battle zone. They will also bring out any casualties. A single Puma can carry up to 16 fully-equipped troops, or lift up to 2500kg of freight attached to a cargo hook beneath the aircraft. It can be armed with two general-purpose machine guns for self-defence. It is equipped with night vision aids, defensive electronics and advanced navigation equipment. Reports from the war zone have told how helicopter rotors are sucking up sand that damages their engines, causing an extra maintenance burden for ground crews.
Bicester Garrison
 They have 7,500 days' worth of rations 
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Soldiers from the 23 Pioneer Regiment of the Royal Logistic Corps - based at Arncott and Graven Hill - were initially sent out to the Gulf to set up bases and camps. But within a week of the war beginning, they were given a new role, delivering humanitarian aid - though there were problems at first because the supply ship HMS Sir Galahad was delayed by mines. The Army has declined to say how many members of the regiment have gone to the war zone - but it is a significant number. RAF Croughton The US Air Force communications base sits just over the county boundary, but many of its personnel live in accommodation at Bicester. It also has a satellite station at Barford St John, near Bloxham. RAF Croughton is home to 422 Air Base Squadron, which operates one of the biggest military telecommunications switchboards in Europe. It handles a third of all the US military communications in Europe. It continued to operate without a hitch during the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001, when civilian communications in America were overwhelmed. It will play a crucial role in the conflict. Dalton Barracks Only a handful of personnel from Dalton have gone to the war zone - filling in gaps in other units. Dalton is home to two regiments of the Royal Logistic Corps: 4 General Support Regiment and the more-specialised 3 Close Support Regiment, which operates nearer to the front line. Neither could not be spared for the conflict because they have been providing emergency cover during the fire fighters' strikes. "When a fire strike is called the camp empties because the both regiments are involved very heavily," says Captain Rachel Parr, adjutant of 3 Close Support Regiment. The role of Dalton's 1,400 personnel is to deal with transport - "getting the right kit to the right place," says Captain Parr. That work is being done in the Gulf by two sister regiments based in Germany. But the Dalton regiments could have a future role in the Gulf once the conflict is over - assuming the campaign is short. Defence Logistics Organisation Caversfield The DLO handles the clothing and textiles needs for all the UK armed forces from its Caversfield depot, on the northern edge of Bicester. It places orders for supplies then sends them to military units to be handed to personnel. Its work has not changed as a result of the conflict with Iraq but has become "more intensive", according to a Ministry of Defence spokesman. | 
